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Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

R, H. LEWIS;

HINGED SHOE BUTTON.

-(No Model.)

WITNEESEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL H. LEWIS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGN OR TO B. L.

HALL 85 CO., OF SAME PLAGE. I

HINGED SHOEeBUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,297. dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed October 3, 1887. Serial No. 251,290. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL H. LEWIS, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain 1 new and useful Improvements in Hinged Shoe- Buttons, ofwhich the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to what is known as a hlnged shoe77 0r leverarm button, which conslsts 1n general in a button-head proper p with a shoe or vlever'arm hinged thereto, in

.same from riding up on thel collar.

vorder to facilitate the insertion of the button with a collar-button which is well adapted to span the band of a scarf and to prevent the Vhen these lever-arm buttons are used as collar- .buttons, it is desirable to have them so constructed that they will remain securely in the button-hole of the shirt-band when the leverarm is opened and the collar is removed. This objectionable defect is, however, found in all the buttons heretofore made.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a lever-arm button which may be securel y held in the button-hole when the lever-arn1 is in opened condition, and another object of my invention is to have the button firmly grip into the material of the garment when in closed position.

To the aforesaid purposes my invention consists, essentially, in an approximately rightangled or L-shaped lever-arm, and also in an outward curve or bend in one part of the L- shaped arm near the angle thereof; and the invention further consists in a guard member mounted on the button-head and arranged' to hook over the edge of the button-hole to retain the button therein; and, further, the invention consists in having such guard inember movable and actuated by the movements of the lever-arm, so as to bind upon the material when the lever-arm is forced into closed position; and, further, the invention consists in the bite of the guard member cooperating with the leverarm,'all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe, the best forms thereof so far devised by me, with the knowledge that such forms may be somewhat lnodified without, however, making a substantial departure from the spirit of the invention.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. side view of my improved button shown as locked through the button-holes of a shirtband and a collar and confining the scarf-band in position, the shirt, collar, and scarf-band being shown in portions. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central sectional view of the button shown in closed position, and with the dotted lines thereof representing the open position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the several disunited parts of the button shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central sectional view of another form of my improved button, with the dotted lines representing the opened position.

In the said drawings like numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings, the button-head is composed of the cap-plate 5, in the concavity of which is seated the hinge-plate 6,which, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, is struck up with the elevated table 7, having the marginal ange 8, and formed with the three transverse Slots 9, 10, and 11, at the ends of which central slot, 10, are constructed the bowed-up journal-bearings 12. The spring 13 is a dat strip of metal, and is interposed between the cap-plate and the hinge-plate, which latter is cut away at the opposite points, as at 14, in order to span the spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

' Theleverarm 15 is formed approximately L- sl1ape'd,with the right-angled bend 16 therein, and near the angle of the arm is made the outward curve or bend. 17 in the part of the L shape which is hinged to the button-head. The hinge end of the lever-arm is flexed at 18, and is formed with the notch 19 at the extreme end, which rides over the spring 13; and 20 are the rectangular journal-lugs, which work in concavities ofthe bearings 12, the lever-arm being placed in operative position by passing ICO the outer free end of the arm up through slot before the hinge-plate is secured in position.

The guard member 21 is a metallic strip formed with three transverse bends, as 25, and having the central longitudinal opening, 22, for the reception of the spring 13. One end of' this guard member is formed into the guardhook 23,while the other end is toothed at 24 to form a bite device (3o-operating with the leverarm when the latter is in a closed position.

f f In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the guard-hook 21 projects up through the slot 9 of the hinge-plate, and is disposed in a direction substantially opposite to the outer end of the lever-arm 15, while the other end of the guard extends up a slight way through the slot 11 of the hinge-plate and forms a bite with the outer end of the lever-arm when the latter is closed on the button-head, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The extreme inner end of the lever-arm engages with the body of the guard member, so that in moving the lever-arm from opened to closed position the arm will force the guard member from the dotted-line position (shown in Fig. 2) into the full-line position,and this will obviously bring the guard 21 in closer to the button-head,and will cause the guard to bind upon the interposed material.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the guard member 21 is placed between the spring 13 and the hinge-plate 6, with its hooked end 23 extending up through the central slot, 10, of such plate and passing through a slot, 26, formed in the lever-arm 15. In this form the guard member is not designed to move, as in the other construction.

lThe button is mounted, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the guard-hook 23 will take over the edge of the button-hole 27 of the shirt-band 2S, the lever-arm passing through such buttonhole,and,extending through the button-hole of the collar 29, spans the scarf-band 30, thus locking the collar to the shirt-band and holding the scarf-band in position. Then the lcver-arm is forced into closed position, it will obviously cause the guard-hooks 23 to bind upon the material, and will also form a bite with the end 2t of the guard member. Upon opening the leverarm into the dotted-line position and removing the collar the button will be retained in the button-hole against dislodgment therefrom by means of the guard, and even should the guard become disengaged the bends 16 and 17 in the lever-arm would serve to confine the same in the button-hole.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the button-head and a hinged lever-arm, of a hooked guard member having the hook thereof disposed in substantially the opposite direction from the free end of the said lever-arm, whereby the guard may retain the button in a button-hole while the leverarm is in opened position, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the button-head and the hinged lever-arm, of the bite device fixed on the head and co-operating with the lever-arm, whereby when the lever-arm is in closed position the material may be pinched between the arms and the bite, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. The combination, as hereinbcfore set forth, with the button-head and a hinged le ver-arm, of the guard member secured to the l1ead,and having one end thereof formed with a hook disposed oppositely to the lever-arm, and the other end of the member forming a bite with the lever-arm, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the button-head and the hinged lever-arm, of the movable guard member secured within the head,and having the hooked end disposed lo the outside of the head, the

said guard member engaged by the inner hinged end of the said lever-arm and moved thereby relatively to thebutton-head, whereby the forcing of the lever-arm into closed position will cause the hooked end of the guard to approach the button-head and pinch the interposed material of the garment, substantially as and for the purpose herein deseribed.

5. Ina button of the class described, the combination, with the button-head, of the hinged lever-arm formed with the right-angled bend 1G and the outward curve 17, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

6. The combination, as hereinbcfore set forth, with the cap-plate 5, the slotted hingeplate 6, the hinged leverarm 15, and the spring 13, engaged by said arm, of the guard member 21, formed with the hook 23,disposed to the exterior of the button-head, as and for the purpose herein described.

7. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the cap-plate 5, the slotted hingcplate 6, provided with the journal-bearings 12, the lever-arm 15, provided with the journallugs 20, and the spring 13, engaged by the said arm, of the guard member 21,:for'med with the three transverse bends, and having the hook 23 and the toothed end 24, substantially as and for the purpose herein described'.

S. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the cap-plate 5, the hinge-plate (i, formed with slots 9, 10, and 11, and provided with the journal-bearings 12, the lever-arm 15, notched at 19, and provided with the journal-lugs 20, and the spring 13, engaged by said arm, of the guard member 21, formed with the opening 22 to receive the spring 13, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

RUSSELL II. LEWIS.

lVitnesses:

M. F. BLIGH, J. A. MILLER, J'r.

IOO 

